MADERA, Calif. (KMJ/KFSN) — When a child undergoes an operation of any sort, it can be a traumatic experience for the entire family.
A new piece of medical technology at Valley Children’s Hospital is helping young patients avoid open-heart surgery and speed up recovery time.
“Instead of an open heart surgery, ICU stay, typical multiple-day hospital stay, they’re usually up and walking around within a few hours in the same day,” says Dr. Teresa Evabs,
Through the Medtronic Harmony Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve, doctors can help pediatric patients who need a large pulmonary valve replacement through a less invasive procedure.
“Going up through the abdomen and through the heart, across to the valve, where it should be,” Dr. Evans said. “Then, we’re able to deliver a valve through a small tube.”
Dr. Evans successfully used the equipment earlier this year.
She says the operation will help older pediatric patients.
“These are valves that are meant for patients who have very large outflows from their heart,” she said. “We’ve had valves for smaller outflow tracks for a long time, but these are for much larger outflows.”
The valve would go inside a fabric-covered stent, which is then mounted onto the top part of the catheter.
The plastic funnel helps push the valve inside the tube.
Dr. Evans walked us through the process.
“This is collapsing the stent that holds the valve down into the tube that would then go into the patient,” she said. “This little capsule here contains the stent and the valve. The nose cone helps guide it up, and the valve is inside this little capsule.”
Previously, kids and their families would need to travel to the Bay Area or LA to get this type of treatment.
Now, thanks to this technology, it keeps care closer to home and allows Central California doctors to save more lives.
